Managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has chastised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, over recent comments she made on Ghana’s economy.
Madam Georgieva stated after a closed-door meeting with President Akufo-Addo that Ghana’s challenges were not a result of bad policies of the government but rather the effect of the Russia–Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“First the pandemic, then Russia’s war in Ukraine. We need to realize that it is not because of bad policies in the country but because of this combination of shocks, and, therefore, we have to support Ghana,” she said.
But speaking on Pan African TV over the weekend, Kwesi Pratt wondered if the support will succeed after no panacea had been found to Ghana’s challenges seventeen times it has solicited help from IMF.
He also pointed to Cedi’s performance as a further basis to punch holes in the argument of the IMF director’s statement that Russia, despite all its challenges, had a strong currency as it was backed up by gold.
The veteran journalist described the comments made by the IMF Director as “horrible” and in sharp contrast with her beautiful looks.
“Beautiful, elegant woman with a big post at the International Monetary Fund, the managing director opens her mouth and this is what she says. What is happening? When I saw a picture of the woman I said “what! what a beautiful woman;” not knowing the beauty is only in the look.
“When she opened her mouth foul, you dodge. What is this? The thing is so bad, her statement is so horrible that now it is not only opposition parties who are punching holes in what she said. Leading campaigners of New Patriotic Party, leading advocates of the New Patriotic Party are coming forward and saying that “ah, this woman…no no no…don’t do that to us”. We are not dummies,” Kwesi Pratt said.
A member of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Amoako Baah, since the comment by the IMF Director has said that President Akufo-Addo has now corrupted even the IMF because he asked Madam Georgieva to make the comment she made.
Meanwhile, Madam Georgieva is optimistic that a deal between Ghana and the IMF should be reached and finalized before the end of the year.
Ghana is said to be targeting an amount of $3 billion over three years from the International Monetary Fund once an agreement on a programme is reached. The new amount requested as a loan was double the government’s initial target of $1.5 billion.
